In the fall of 2013 the General Assembly passed SB 0578, which became Public Act 98-0610 when it was signed into law on December 27, 2013. This new law has made several important changes to the requirements for the renewal and registration of educator licenses. Although most of the law does not go into effect until July 1, 2014, there are important changes that may impact you as you: plan for professional development, need to renew your license, or have not entered Continuing Professional Development Units (CPDUs) into the Educator License Information System (ELIS).

The Illinois State Board (ISBE) is to complete administrative rules to govern the new processes and provide guidance for educators to comply with the law. Unfortunately, ISBE has not completed the rule making process and this will not be complete until October or November 2014. The proposed Rules and Regulations are scheduled to be posted on the Illinois Register for a 45 day public viewing and comment period very soon, possibly by next week. Draft rules will be reviewed by the Illinois State Board of Education at its June 19, 2014 meeting when the draft is provided to the State Board in the board packet. The Rules and Regulations draft will go to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules following their final review by the State Board.

II. Why should I care that rules on licensure renewal are not out?

Some information may be leaking out that is in the proposed rules that would significantly change your professional development requirements beginning July 1, 2014. Parts of the rules may have extensions for entering professional development or the types of qualifying experiences that may be used to satisfy professional development requirements under the new laws.

III. If the rules do not pass until November how am I held accountable to them?

The straight answer is that we do not know how we can be expected to implement rules prior to their being approved by JCAR. All we can tell you is that those items in the law (PA 98-0610) that are explicit must be followed. Even this can be challenging since there are different interpretations being made. For these reasons, the ROE has not been able to provide you insight on what might be, and we have not been able to present at our schools this information . . . it is simply premature and causes confusion.

IV. Why hasn’t the ROE told me exactly what I need to do and sent me renewal reminders or other direct mailings?

Since ISBE switched from ECS to ELIS in August 2013, the ROE has not been able to run accurate reports to notify educators of their registration and renewal. Although not required, we felt obligated to assist all our educators by notifying them by mail. Without access to these data in ELIS, our office is unable to run a report of all our educators by renewal date and to warn folks of pending lapsed status. Additionally, the lack of official rules published or passed by ISBE exacerbates these issues (see previous question).

V. So what will happen if I do not follow the changes in the law?

First, you need to determine when you renew by logging into ELIS at www.isbe.net. Additionally be certain your personal information is correct, especially your secondary email address.

Educators due to renew in 2014 that do not complete, and have approved, a Statement of Assurance (listing and ISBE approval of PD) before September 1, 2014 will have a lapsed license.

An individual with a Professional Educator License that is lapsed on September 1st of the year in which they renew because of a lack of professional development as demonstrated with an ISBE approved Statement of Assurance will NOT be permitted to remain in the classroom. In addition, the individual will owe a penalty of either $500 or 9 hours of college coursework ANDmust complete all professional development requirements. An individual may no longer “buy-out” their professional development.

The law requires that starting July 1, 2014 educators must enter their professional development within 60 days of completion. Without rules we cannot address credit earned before July 1stand when it is due to be entered. To be safe, consider entering all your PD into ELIS by August 31, 2014. Theoretically, ISBE could create a rule that denies credit not entered within 60 days. Our office vehemently opposes this stance as the 60 days was a technical mistake in the law.

There is a second type of lapsed license when an educator does not register their license within 6 months of issuance. By December 31, 2014 if an individual owes registration fees and has not paid them they will be lapsed and have a penalty of college hours or a fine depending on the type of license. Educator Licensure with Stipulations – Paraprofessional must register their license even though there is no registration fee at this time. A lapsed license will result in a $150 penalty fee.

Substitute Licensure - Subs renewals were extended through 2018 on July 1, 2013. Registration fees must be paid for any registration years not registered.

Educators Transitioned July 1, 2013 from Initial Certificate Holder to a PEL and extended through 2018 or later must pay additional registration fees as the registration was extended additional years to allow for a full 5 year cycle. Unpaid licensure holders will be lapsed and incur penalties.

VI. What are the current licensure renewal requirements from the new law and prior law?

1. TEACHERS Individuals working in a position that requires educator licensure including Career &Technical Educator endorsement on an ELS and Speech Language Pathologist on a teaching endorsement or working in a position 50% or more for any particular year must complete 120 hours of PD per each 5-year renewal cycle (or an average of 24 per year). There will no longer be a reduction in the number of hours required based upon master’s degree credentials. Additionally with the first full 5-year cycle in which a licensee holds an administrative endorsement and is not working in a position requiring that endorsement, she/he must complete one Illinois Administrators’ Academy course in each 5-year cycle in which the administrative endorsement was held for at least one year.

2. EDUCATOR LICENSE WITH STIPULATIONS CTE Individuals with a Provisional CTE may only renew his or her license one time after having completed a test of basic skills and 20 hours of college coursework. After that renewal they must work under a CTE endorsement without the provisional status.

3. SCHOOL SERVICE PERSONNEL Individuals working in a position requiring a school support personnel endorsement for at least 50% of the day, and not holding a license issued by IDFPR, must complete 120 hours of PD for each 5-year renewal cycle. Licensees who are employed and performing services in public schools and hold an active and current professional license issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) are deemed to have met the renewal requirements. Speech and Language Pathologists may exchange a teaching endorsement for a non-teaching endorsement prior to April 30, 2014 in order to be relieved of the 120-hour PEL renewal requirement. Please see ISHA website for more information at www.isha.org

4. ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHER LEADERS Individuals working in a position requiring an administrative or Teacher Leader endorsement, for at least 50% of the day, must complete 100 hours of PD per each 5-year renewal cycle AND one Illinois Administrators’ Academy (IAA) course annually. Licensees working in a position requiring an administrative or Teacher Leader endorsement must complete an IAA course between July 1 and June 30 each year. IAA course completion for Academy credit or CPDUs will be entered by the provider into ELIS, not by the licensee.

5. NBPTS (MASTERS TEACHERS Individuals who hold the NBPTS designation must complete a total of 60 hours of PD for each 5-year renewal cycle. The designation is issued only for the same validity period as the NBPTS certification, and removed when the educator no longer holds the NBPTS certification.

6. RETIRED EDUCATORS Licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits from a State retirement system have no PD, renewal, or registration requirements. Beginning July 1, 2014 licensees who are retired and qualify for benefits from a State retirement system must indicate this in the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS), and the license will be maintained in “Retired” status. Licenses in retired status cannot lapse. If and when a retired educator returns to work in a position that requires a PEL, he/she must immediately change the license status in ELIS, pay the registration fee for that year, and complete renewal requirements, where applicable, for that year if working on a PEL.

7. SUBSTITUTE LICENSE A substitute license may be renewed after the first 5-year cycle if the licensee has passed a test of basic skills. Example: License is issued July 1, 2013 and is valid until 6/30/2018. The basic skills test must be passed before the license can be renewed July 1, 2018.

8. ELS PARAPROFESSIONAL Individuals who hold the ELS endorsed for Paraprofessional are not required to complete professional development, but must register his or her license.

9. GIFTED EDUCATION TEACHER ENDORSEMENT A grandfathering provision for the Gifted Education Teacher endorsement was included in Illinois Administrative Rule 25.100 (l) (1) (B). To meet the grandfathering provisions, one must have completed the following:

document completion of a gifted education seminar offered by the State Board of Education in conjunction with the Illinois Association for Gifted Children by January 31, 2015; or receive recognition as a State Board-approved gifted education seminar trainer by January 31, 2015;

have four years of teaching experience in a public or recognized nonpublic school;

passing the NES Gifted Education Test, and

make application for the Gifted Education Teacher endorsement by February 1, 2015.

The NES Gifted Education Test will be available beginning on September 15, 2014. This content-area test is offered in computer-based format only and is required for the Gifted Education Teacher endorsement and the Gifted Education Specialist Endorsement.

Individuals who meet the requirements above must also pass the NES Gifted Education Test to earn the Gifted Education Teacher endorsement. To learn more about this test, please visit http://www.nestest.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/NT312_TestPage.html. Registration for this test is now open.

Applications submitted on or after February 1, 2015, shall be subject to each of the requirements set forth in Illinois Administrative Rule 25.100 (l)(1)(A), which includes completion of an approved Illinois program for gifted education. Please note that there are currently no Illinois-approved programs for either the gifted education teacher endorsement or the gifted education specialist endorsement.

Illinois educators served on a national standard-setting panel for the NES Gifted Education test in June. A recommendation will be made to use the national cut score for the NES Gifted Education Test.

We anticipate that the application for the Gifted Education Teacher endorsement will be available by mid-October.